Sunday 18 July 2010 11.46 EDT
First published on Sunday 18 July 2010 11.46 EDT

Harry Redknapp has said Tottenham Hotspur are close to signing the Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa from Spartak Moscow. Pletikosa, who has 80 caps, would challenge Heurelho Gomes for the No1 spot at Spurs.

"I might be taking another goalkeeper from Croatia – Pletikosa," Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, told croatiansoccerreport.com. "[There is] every chance I might be getting him so that's good."

Pletikosa, who has played for Hajduk Split and Shakhtar Donetsk, represented his country at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. He was close to joining Tottenham last summer before suffering a knee injury.

Redknapp has been seeking strong competition for Gomes since Carlo Cudicini was injured in a motorcycle accident last November. Cudicini is playing again but Redknapp, who finished last season with the inexperienced Ben Alnwick as his No2 goalkeeper, has decided to bring in the 31-year-old Pletikosa.

Tottenham already have three Croatian players in Luka Modric, Vedran Corluka and Niko Kranjcar. "I would say the best players I ever managed in my life have been Croatian boys," Redknapp said. "They're fantastic boys. I have had Igor Stimac, Slaven Bilic, Davor Suker. Robert Prosinecki was a genius. Fantastic footballers and all great guys."